The present invention pertains to transporters and methods for transporting individuals, and more particularly to balancing transporters and methods for transporting individuals over ground having a surface that may be irregular.
A wide range of transporters and methods are known for transporting human subjects. Typically, such transporters rely upon static stability, being designed so as to be stable under all foreseen conditions of placement of their ground-contacting members. Thus, for example, the gravity vector acting on the center of gravity of an automobile passes between the points of ground contact of the automobile's wheels, the suspension keeping all wheels on the ground at all times, and the automobile is thus stable. Stable vehicles need not be precluded for reasons of stability from attaining their maximum operating speed.
Another type of transporter is a dynamically stabilized transporter, also known as a balancing transporter. Such transporters have a control system that actively maintains the stability of the transporter while the transporter is operating. The control system maintains the stability of the transporter by continuously sensing the orientation of the transporter, determining the corrective action to maintain stability, and commanding the wheel motors to make the corrective action. If the transporter loses the ability to maintain stability, such as through the failure of a component or a lack of sufficient power, the rider may experience a sudden loss of balance.